Why I Only Take Uber & Lyft, and Refuse to Get into Another Cab
I agree, not all cab drivers are dangerous, but it’s important to track, report, and rate the ones who are.
In the early (or, not so early) hours of yesterday morning, still lying in bed, I reached over to grab my Nexus 6. I quickly checked my notifications, replied to some messages, and delved into the deep sea that is social media. I scrolled through my Twitter feed, and came across this Tweet from Katie Roof:
Because I’ve also experienced the dangers of riding a taxi alone, I was compelled to read the TechCrunch article by sarahbuhr:
Her experience in Las Vegas opened a floodgate of memories. Every word resonated so deeply, and the comments evoked an array of emotions. It inspired me to write this piece and share my stories.
Story 1: Not all cab drivers are horrible
In August 2013, I moved to UK for a year. Oblivious to the notion of ridesharing, public transit and taxis were the norm.
On a late night, after attending an event in Slough, I got on the last train home to Aylesford (~70 miles). Moments into my journey, I realized I was on an express train to the wrong destination! In a new, unknown land, I was lost, panicking, and scared. I had no idea where I was, or how I would get home, and my phone would die any minute. Noticing my panic and anxiety, the man seated next to me asked, “is everything okay?” Grateful for the sign of help, I shared my dilemma. That’s when the conversation took a wrong turn. In an inappropriate tone, he offered for me to spend the night with him, informing me I wouldn’t be able to get another train until the next morning. I politely refused his offer and told him I’d find my way home. He continued to try and make advances. My palms were sweaty and my heart was pounding as I waited for the train to stop. I quickly gathered my belongings and rushed off the train. Too scared to look back, I hoped the man wasn’t getting off at the same stop. Luckily, he didn’t, and I found myself alone at a dark, almost deserted, tiny station stop. Nervously walking towards the exit, I prayed to find a taxi outside the station at that hour. As I rounded the corner, a small glimmer of hope appeared. There it was, a taxi, with a young man in the driver’s seat. I felt relieved for about a second before my fear returned. I slowly approached the vehicle and asked the man if he could take me to Aylesford. We negotiated a price, I took a deep breath, and got into the car. He made small talk, perhaps to make me feel comfortable, but after my experience on the train, I preferred not to talk at all. Still, out of politeness, I gave short replies to his questions, and refrained from asking any of my own. I asked him to stop at an ATM so I could withdraw cash to pay him. He waited in the car, but I could feel his eyes watching every movement I made. I got back to the car and handed him the money, hoping it would give him the incentive to get me home safely. I looked out the window into the darkness, as the lump in my throat got bigger. I had no idea where I was. I had no idea if we were traveling in the right direction, and he knew this. He could easily take advantage of my situation. But after about 45 minutes, I arrived in Aylesford, where I finally saw some familiar sites. I felt a massive weight being lifted from my shoulders, and I may have let out a sigh of relief. He got me home safely! I thanked him and hurried to the comfort of my bed.
I know what you’re thinking. How does this story relate to Sarah’s story? How does this explain why I refuse to take taxis? How does it explain why I love Uber and Lyft? It doesn’t! This is an experience that helps me understand, there are good cab drivers out there, and not everyone is the same. It helps me empathize with that perspective. However, like I said, not everyone is the same, and not everyone is safe. I learned that the unfortunate way.
Story 2: Why I’ll never set foot in a cab alone again
I had lived in England for four months, and had moved to Slough, where I taught at an excellent primary school. It was early December, 2013 , and Christmas was right around the corner — my favorite time of year! I was excited to go home for the holidays. But not everyone was in the holiday spirit.
One Friday evening, after a long day of teaching, I went out for drinks in Windsor, accompanied by a big group of co-workers. When one teacher turned to me and told me she was tired, we decided to leave early and go home to catch some Z’s. We said our goodbyes and made our way to the exit, where a line of registered cabs waited for fares. We walked over to the first one and requested a quote for a ride to Slough (~6 miles). After hearing the unreasonable quote, we began walking towards the next cab. At this time, the driver offered a lower price, to which we agreed. Part way through the ride, he demanded the original price, claiming he never offered a lower one. We tried reasoning with him, but decided it wasn’t worth it after he threatened to stop the car and leave us roadside. We agreed to pay him the original amount, but that wasn’t enough. He stopped the car and insisted we pay him right away. We explained that he’d have to take us to the ATM (a few houses down from our house), but he refused to drive until we paid. When we tried to get out of the car, he began driving, which caused us to fall out into the road. Before we could get up, he was hovering over us, shouting profanities and threatening to hurt us unless we paid him right away. We got up and tried to get away, at which point he physically assaulted my friend. He then grabbed hold of my arm. I tugged and shouted, “don’t touch me!” He intimidatingly asked, “what are you gonna do about it?” I reached into my purse and fumbled to find my phone. I tried dialing 999 (the equivalent of 911), but he snatched my phone, got into his car, and drove off. We walked the rest of the distance and called the police as soon as we arrived. Luckily, some CCTV footage captured us getting into the cab, allowing the police to trace the cab number back to the driver. He was arrested, then let out on bail, while a trial settled the matter. Unfortunately, nothing amounted of it — it was our word against his. The CCTV near the incident was down that night and didn’t record what happened. We had no proof. His lawyers repeatedly got the case adjourned and moved to a later date. We’d sit in the Witness Protection room of the courthouse for hours, only to find out we’d have to come back another day. The next date was scheduled for November, 2014. By that time, my year in England had ended, and I had moved back home.
He’s probably still out there, driving a cab, picking up other passengers who take a leap of faith, and trust that he’ll get them home safely. We had no way of warning them, no way of saving them. It has played on my conscious ever since — until I moved to San Francisco and discovered Uber and Lyft.
Contrary to what some critics say, I strongly believe that ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft empower passengers and drivers! Passengers can easily report and rate bad drivers. Drivers have the same opportunity to report and rate bad passengers. This single aspect makes Uber and Lyft much safer. As Sarah puts it,
“There was no way of easily warning another lone [passenger]* who might also take a ride with that guy that night, or that week, or ever. No way to complain about inappropriate advances. There was no app for that and no way to trace him if he didn’t deliver me back to my hotel, either. He was just a random cab driver in a taxi line and no one thought anything of it.
Regulators should take note of this experience and for the good of public safety, allow Uber and Lyft, not taxis, to utilize the ride lines, instead. This is not about fairness to drivers. You can track rideshare drivers using technology and complain about the bad ones on these platforms. You can’t do that with cabs.”
